


Little One

by way1203



Category: The Purge (2013)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-18
Updated: 2013-07-04
Packaged: 2017-12-15 10:38:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/848547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/way1203/pseuds/way1203
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Before he leaves, the Polite Stranger talks to her about the importance of Purge night. Complete!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"You're gonna be just fine, do you know why?"

The little girl shook her head. He watched her hold her stuffed bear close, her blue eyes round with fear. She was so young, so ignorant. She had no idea what tonight would bring. She had no idea the amount of blood that would paint the streets red. She had no idea the importance of tonight. 

He ran a hand through his blonde hair and crouched beside her bed. "Because you're a have. We are haves. We have many things that others don't. We have weapons. We have protection. We can kill the homeless swine tonight. That's what The Purge is all about, little one."

"I'm scared."

He looked down at the four-year-old with a wide grin, "My friends and I are going to get rid of the swine tonight so you will be safe. All those pigs out there, they're asking to die tonight. It's a sacrifice needed to help this amazing country. You will be safe after tonight. We will all be safe, I promise."

"So..." Her eyebrows were knitted together as she tried to piece together the information given to her. "The Purge is good?"

"Yes, little one. The Purge is very good."

"Are you gonna kill people tonight?"

"No," he shook his head. "I'm not going to kill anyone. I'm going to release them. Do you understand?"

She nodded. He raised the blankets up to her chin. He could hear the last of the emergency broadcast announcing the start of this year's Purge. He gave her a reassuring grin and turned the light out in her room. 

"Good night, little one."

"Good night."

Tonight, he would kill the have-nots. Well, not just any have-nots. The homeless, the ones who were unproductive to society. He knew who the target would be for him and his friends. A group of bums that stayed just beneath the northeast bridge. There were at least five of them. Five wonderful sacrifices for tonight's purge. 

Tonight, he would wear a mask and, if anyone were to see him without his mask, he would be nothing but a polite stranger.


	2. Parents

When she was nothing more than an infant, he arrived at his childhood home during Purge night. His parents lived in a middle class neighborhood. They were haves at one point in time. They had outright paid to send him to one of the top private colleges in the state. His tuition, housing, books, all expenses were paid for the four years it would take for him to get his degree. Now that he'd turned twenty-one, he was offered an internship at a wealthy business. Due to his charm, politeness, and intelligence, he was making a large sum of money for an intern. Not only that, but he had received an offer for a permanent position in the company once he graduated. His parents were proud but they were preoccupied with other problems. 

They were beginning to have a hard time since his mother had gotten pregnant with his baby sister. His mother was 46 and being pregnant did a number on her health. His parents had to tap into their retirement to cover her hospital costs and to prepare for a new baby. It had been a rough nine months but she delivered a healthy baby girl. He was happy to have a baby sister.

He took out his spare key and entered his childhood home. How unsafe his parents were, he thought, to have no security system to protect them from the Purge. 

"Mother, father, it's me!" He called so as not to alarm them.

His dad's booming voice called back, "We're in the basement!" 

He shut the front door behind him and looked down at the shotgun in his left hand. Ah, the basement. This would be easy enough. He strolled past pictures of him and his parents, baby pictures of him and his sister, and kitschy objects on the walls. He walked down the stairs to the basement, whistling a tune as he went.

His mother noticed the gun in his hand the moment he entered the room.

"Sweetheart, what are you doing with that?" She asked, her blue eyes wide with disbelief. Why was her little boy holding a real weapon?

He smiled, "It's Purge night, mother. I felt the need to partake." 

"Atta boy, son." His father walked towards him. "I think it's very patriotic of you to follow our New Founding Fathers."

"I think so, too."

Without another word, he raised the shotgun and fired at his father. Blood splattered against his cheeks. The brunette man fell. His mother screamed. His baby sister began to cry upstairs.

"Look what you've done," he sighed. "You woke the baby."

His mother didn't stop screaming until he shot her as well. His parents were dead. He stood over their bodies, cocked his gun, and shot them each two more times. By now he was covered in blood. He dropped the shotgun and smiled. He knelt down beside them, touching their bloodstained clothes. He was cleansed.

"Thank you...for an excellent Purge." 

His sister considered to wail from her nursery. He got to his feet and left the basement. Whistling a new tune, he went to the kitchen to find a bottle. He looked at his watch. 11 PM. His sister was probably hungry. He brushed a blonde lock of hair from his eyes and went to the sink. He washed his hands. He didn't want to get any blood in his sister's food. Once he was done, he grabbed a cup from the cabinet and filled it with milk from the fridge. He popped it in the microwave to heat. His sister cried louder. 

"I'm coming, little one."

He grabbed a nearby bottle and unscrewed the lid. The microwave beeped. He poured the warm milk inside and tightened the lid. It all seemed so ordinary and would have been had he not just killed his parents. Bottle in hand, he went down the hall to the nursery. 

She was crying, whimpering for human contact. He reached into the crib, careful not to get his parent's blood on his baby sister. He lifted her into his arms. With a gentle hand, he smoothed her soft blonde hair. 

"Shh, shh, shh. It's okay. It's just your big brother." His white teeth showed through his a reassuring smile. "Hey, little one."

His sister's cries died down. Mother hated that he called her that and never by her name. But he didn't care. Besides, what would it matter now? She was dead. He sat down in the rocking chair in the corner. He placed the bottle's nipple into his sister's mouth. She sucked eagerly.

"Hey," he rocked back and forth. "I've got you, it's gonna be okay."

Her eyebrows rose then fell. She opened and closed her right hand. He held out his finger. She wrapped her tiny fingers around it.

"Ooh, you're strong. We're orphans now. Did you know that?" He gave a smile laugh. "You and me. Yeah...yeah...just little orphans. When you get older, you'll understand why I killed them. You'll participate in the Purge, too."

She looked at him with big blue eyes. He knew she was going to be gorgeous, a heartbreaker. He knew she was going to be just like him. She would be polite. She would be well-educated. She would have everything. She would cleanse her soul every Purge as soon as she was old enough to understand. He would make sure of it.

"Your big brother loves you." He continued. "That's why he killed them. Like I said, you won't understand now, but you will later. They would've become swine. They weren't going to raise you well. They spent almost all their money. There would have been nothing for you." He paused and thought about what he did earlier. "I put them out of their misery. With me, you won't want anything. I'll give you everything you want and need. Things mother and father gave me, but wouldn't have afforded to give you."

She looked at him and continued to suck.

"I know they were haves, and I don't usually kill haves. But little one, mother and father, were becoming have-nots. I'll be damned if you fell victim to becoming a have-not. You are, and will always be, a have."

She stopped sucking, babbled loudly, drool dripping down her chin. He wiped it away.

"As long as we stick together, you will be a have."


	3. Hush-a-bye

"Hush-a-bye, don't you cry, go to sleep a little baby. When you wake you shall find all the pretty little horses."

He ran the brush through her long blonde hair. Singing her lullaby usually helped her fear subside after a nightmare. She sat quietly in front of him in her Tinkerbell nightgown. Her fingers knotted a red ribbon around the neck of her American Girl doll. 

At the age of six, she was very well-behaved. He'd taught her very early that children were to be seen and not heard. She didn't sass him or throw fits. If she ever started to pout, he'd give her a wide grin and tell her sweetly that this was her warning. It was a grin that he used on Purge nights. It looked innocent enough, but he and his sister knew just how dangerous it really was. 

This usually worked, except for one time when she was four. He told her that she was not allowed to have another cookie. She folded her arms, screamed 'no' at the top of her lungs. She ripped the bow from her hair and threw it. She then proceeded to kick him. He was usually very patient when it came to her. He considered himself a very understanding man. But this tantrum happened after a stressful day at work. His patience was stretched thin by an annoying client. When she pulled this stunt, he lost it. He popped her...hard. 

"When I say 'no', I mean it." He had said. She was in tears from the contact his hand had made with her bottom. He looked at her with fierce eyes and not a single trace of a smile. 

It was the only time he'd ever laid hands on her. It was the last time she crossed him.

Overall, she was a good kid, just like he was. She got good grades. She listened to instructions. She had friends, though she was not nearly as popular as he was during that age. She had a steady routine that she followed. He'd drop her off at school in the morning and pick her up in the afternoon. They'd come home and he'd cook dinner while she finished up her homework. When they ate, she'd swing her feet beneath the table, eagerly telling him about her day. He'd listen intently, interested in her classmates and experiences. Listening about her teacher who was, thankfully, a very kind woman. If she was mean, he would make sure she'd suffer the same fate as her kindergarten teacher Ms. Aberdeen. After dinner, he and his sister would wash dishes or load the dishwasher. She was allowed an hour of television before bed. This time was usually spent watching a couple of children's shows on Netflix. After this, it was the three B's: bath, brush, bed. 

She had followed her routine tonight. She had slept for about two hours. He was heading to bed when she screamed. He came running like a good brother and caregiver. She'd had a nightmare. Now here he sat brushing her locks meticulously, hoping that whatever was scaring her would leave her mind. 

"You know that I will never let anything happen to you." He cooed. "Right, little one?"

She nodded, lifting the ribbon as high as she could in front of her. Her doll hung in the air, the knot around her neck creating a noose. He immediately noticed what she'd done.

"I'm pretending it's Amy at school. She calls me names sometimes and says mean things about you. I don't like it. Sometimes when I see her eat at lunch, I hope really hard that she chokes."

He wanted to explain that shooting or stabbing the doll would be better than hanging, but decided against it. He'd save that conversation in a month for Purge night. He smiled slightly at the thought of his sister one day participating in the Purge and violently releasing Amy as revenge. However, his mind thought about the letters he received from her teachers. The concern they had about drawings and journal entries she made during days after the Purge. How maybe she should see a psychologist. How the drawings of her brother covered in blood after Purge night weren't healthy. Mrs. Aberdeen was the one who wrote that note. She was hellbent on getting his sister taken out of his custody. But every time CPS arrived, which was a total of three times that school year, they found no reason to take his little sister away. Maybe he shouldn't have that conversation about stabbing after all.

After a moment, he simply said, "Little one, don't do that."

"Okay," she put her hand down. 

"Good. So, tell me, what's got you so scared that you had a nightmare?" 

She shook her head. 

"You can tell me."

"Big brother, what's...?"

He stopped brushing her hair, "Ask me."

"At school we learned about the New Founding Fathers and talked about the Purge. Will Hobbs said it was when people murder people. Do you murder people on Purge night?"

"Little one," he sighed. "Precious baby, we talked about this many times before. I don't murder people on Purge night. I release them."

She faced him. Her eyebrows furrowed, "Then what's murder?"

"Well, murder is when you kill someone and it's not Purge night."

"Then what's releasing?"

"When you ends someone's life on Purge night. You release their souls."

She held up the ribbon again, causing the doll to hang once more. "Like this?"

"No, little one. Since this is not Purge night, what you are doing would be murder if your doll was alive." He gave her a reassuring smile, "Does that make sense?"

She nodded.

"Good."

"Big brother, did you release mom and dad?" 

He stared at her, his smile frozen on his face. His sister was almost too smart for her own good sometimes. She knew that her parent were dead and had died on Purge night when she was only a baby. The details of how they died were something he hadn't told her since she could crawl. Even then, he hoped she was young enough that she wouldn't remember.

"You released them." 

"Yes, I did. Before you ask, it was because they were going to be swine. They weren't going to have the means to care for you. They didn't have money. I did. I was able to get you all your toys, and wants, and...stuff. I think it's better this way, don't you?"

They sat in silence. She studied her brother. He smiled back at her, waiting for her to challenge him. He knew this day would eventually come. He was ready. 

"I don't like people who are swine. Would I have liked mom and dad?"

The corners of his mouth turned down, he shook his head. "Nope."

"Good, cause I like you and I like my toys and stuff. I'm glad you released them so I could live with you."

"Me too, little one." He kissed her forehead. "Do you have any other questions?"

She giggled, "Nope."

"Good. Now, no more talk about this. I don't want you to have another nightmare. Plus you need to sleep, and so do I. Okay?"

"Okay. I love you, big brother."

"I love you too, little one."


	4. Avenge

She loaded her brother's shotgun. The Sandins were going to die tonight. She'd waited for this Purge night all year. After last years events, she kept tabs on the Sandins and their whereabouts. Her brother was dead. She was able to find out where her brother had taken his last breaths. Her brother was the only family she knew. The hefty insurance policy he'd left behind in addition to their house meant nothing to her. Not when her brother was dead. Her caretaker was dead. Her best friend was dead. The person she loved and respected was dead. They were the reason he was dead. The younger boy, Charlie, would go first. He let the swine in. He's the reason her brother targeted the Sandin house. If the child had just left the swine outside, then her brother would still be here. 

She arrived at the Sandin's before lockdown. They greeted her warmly. Afterall, she wasn't dumb. She didn't walk into the house with a shotgun. She took it apart and had it in her purse. A medium-sized Vera Bradley purse she purchased with Zoey when the newest patterns debuted earlier that month. 

She befriended Zoey Sandin. They bonded quickly even though she was around Charlie's age. Zoey saw her as a little sister. It was too easy really. Zoey's father died on Purge night, and so she was very understanding about the loss of her brother. When Zoey asked for pictures of her brother, she showed pictures of her father. When questions arose, she explained that her brother was much older than she was and they were orphaned on a Purge night when she was a child. Not a complete lie, and Zoey ate it up. She played her part and soon they were BFFs. Bonding quickly like super glue. 

Mary Sandin was surprisingly easy to win over as well. It was her soft spot for kids. It was easy enough to convince her that she didn't want to stay alone in a big house on Purge night. She was young and alone. Mary felt bad and offered to let her stay with them during lock down. It was extremely trusting for a Purge night widow, but Mary Sandin had no reason not to trust her. She was young. A young woman with a Purge 2022 sob story...what's not to trust. 

Charlie, however, didn't 100% trust her. She considered it just another reason for him to go first. When the time came for lockdown, she excused herself to the bathroom with her purse. 

"Why is she taking her purse?" Charlie asked.

Zoey scoffed, "You don't question why a girl takes her purse to the bathroom. It's her business."

"Is she on her period?"

Zoey pushed him. Mary gasped. 

She smiled to herself and ascended the staircase to the upstairs bathroom. The sound of the sirens outside cued the start of Purge night. Once inside with the door locked, she began to assemble the shotgun. 

"Big brother, I promise I will avenge you tonight." She whispered. "I will finish what you started and the Sandins will pay. I apologize for releasing haves...but I know you would do the same for me."

She cocked the gun and unlocked the bathroom door. Charlie stood directly in front of her. She jumped. 

"What are you doing with that?" asked Charlie.

She raised the gun. Charlie yelled for his mother. She enjoyed the look of fear on his face. She fired one shot between his eyes. Blood splattered across her face as she cocked the gun again. 

She released Mary second. Mary came running and she'd fired right into her heart. She'd gotten very precise. The whole thing was way too easy. For a family that had been through hell last Purge, they were surprisingly unprepared. Then again, she'd played her part as Zoey's bestie so well, that it was no surprise they trusted her this much. 

"Mom!" Zoey's voice cracked from her screams. "Charlie! What did you do?"

Zoey screamed louder from the sight of her dead mother and brother. She raised the shotgun and fired at Zoey three times. The first shot was the knee. She had to make sure she couldn't run when she cocked it. The next time in the shoulder. Then finally in the stomach. Zoey was bleeding, but still alive. She could almost hear her brother laughing at what she'd done. 

"You always play with your food, don't you?" he'd say. 

She smiled at the idea.

Zoey looked at her with glassy eyes. She gasped for air. "Why? I...trusted...you."

"Because your idiot family is the reason why my brother is dead," she replied simply.

When Zoey displayed confusion, she rolled her eyes and pulled a picture of her brother from her pocket. His blonde hair was slicked back, he carried her piggy back, her long blonde hair flowing over her right shoulder, their lips curled into perfect grins. 

"The guy...last Purge," Zoey was withering quickly from blood loss.

"Your idiot brother let the swine in. If you'd listened to my brother, your father would be alive and so would he. He was nothing but polite to your family. My brother was always polite, Zoey Sandin."

"You too...why....didn't....see?"

"Cause your whole family is stupid. God, Zoey, don't you see? Your family caused this. Your trust towards people. Your...stupidity started with my brother...and it ends with me."

She raised her gun and fired at Zoey's forehead, watching the light leave her eyes. She dropped her weapon and raised her head to the ceiling.

"I did it, big brother. I released them for you." 

She wiped the blood from her face. It was over. Her brother was avenged. 

"Thank you, Charlie, Mary, and Zoey Sandin, for a perfect Purge night."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the reviews and support. This is the final chapter. I got a little off on the ages, but I hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
